Provinces of Playing Cards
by Lady of London
Summary: In a land where people are controlled by what cards they place and a twisted hierarchy of races, a single girl battles to overcome the harsh discrimination and slavery as she battles her through the courts to rescue her stolen brother from the tyrannous King Of Clubs. Wonderland/Cardverse AU. Some Nyotalia. FraLiechtPru ON HIATUS. (Cover art by Laynart on Tumblr)
1. First Night I

**A/N:** Quick note on names. Victoria is Fem!England, Amelia is Fem!America, Lili is Liechtenstein and Sebastian is Switzerland. Thank you for reading and please do leave a review!

_A story-teller appeared on the first night. A rabbit appeared on the third. Her brother was stolen on the second day, and on the final day she entered a world that has no intentions of giving neither her nor her brother back._

_**Part 1: Entering Wonderland**_

Chapter 1: The First Night .I

The night the story-teller appeared, Lili was working her usual shift in her family's tavern, collecting pint glasses, washing dishes and serving food to the local workers. It was a Friday, and so the little inn was almost overrun with hungry farmers, already singing their cheery drunken tunes, despite the early hours. As the last few workmen crawled in from their fields, Victoria took to the piano and began to play a happy melody which Amelia accompanied with her sweet voice. Lili smiled contentedly behind the bar, occasionally joining in with the banter between customers.

Tucking a stray blonde hair behind her ear, Lili carefully balanced a roast dinner and an ocean broth on a wide tray on one hand, and on the other a tray carrying a medley of the inn's finest ales. Now usually Lili was very graceful when it came to serving the tavern's meals, however this could only be said if she didn't walk into a person who seemed to be rushing out of the kitchen behind the bar. In a flurry of dishes, the petite girl was able to recover quickly from her trip and save the falling meal, but alas the drinks were lost to the tavern floor... and the person's clothes.

"Oh my! I-I'm terribly sorry, I couldn't see where I was going, but that's really no excuse, is it? I really am sorry, sir, I'll get you a cloth, oh my, oh- Oh. Guten abend, bruder." After brushing down the stranger's clothes, Lili was able to look up and find out that the stranger was in fact her brother, Sebastian. In a second her voice changed from extremely apologetic to slight annoyance.

"Was there any reason you needed to barge through the door so quickly? This was a waste of ale, you broke the glasses, and now the food will go cold whilst I have to draw some more!" She wasn't exactly angry, Lili couldn't pull that facial expression off very well, but even a small pout was enough to show Sebastian that he was no longer in her good books. With his usual stern expression, the Swiss man hurriedly mopped up the mess that he had technically caused on the floor. Lili gave a sigh, and knelt down to help him.

"I'm sorry, Lili, but I just saw the time and I was supposed to be in the town hall by now," the blonde man explained, wringing out the cloth in the sink, and picking up the dustpan and brush for the shattered glass.

"Well, give me this, then," Lili replied, taking the pan from her brother's hands, "And hurry up and leave before you're too late!"

Urging Sebastian forward with a push, part of Lili wished her brother would be late to this silly meeting, after all it was only for some controversial discussion over whether or not the men of her town should be conscripted into the army. It seemed like such a worthless thing to be discussing, since she was sure the men would join anyway, if her brother was a fair representation. It seemed that no matter what the final decision would be, Sebastian was going to join anyway. It both annoyed and saddened Lili, but what could she do? He was the man of the house and he could do as he pleased. Lili just waited tables at the tavern.

"Thank you, I'll be sure to get back before eleven, okay?" Lili nodded in return and momentarily left the dustpan on top of the bar in order to fetch Sebastian his jacket. Handing it over, she smiled sweetly,

"It's okay, I think I can handle things on my own." She giggled ever so slightly, though it was a tired laugh. Yes, she could manage very well on her own. Despite her petite appearance, Lili was quite a capable young lady, though secretly she feared the day when Sebastian would depart and leave behind only her and her grandmother to run the tavern. But even with all these underlying thoughts, she could never let Sebastian know.

"Now go on, before the meeting ends!" Sebastian nodded in thanks and murmured a good bye before hurrying quickly out of the door. Lili smiled after him and retreated to the floor to sweep up the broken glass.

After her brother left, a new man entered in his place.

It wouldn't have caused much concern, except the man was hooded, and it wasn't rare for there to be hooded bandits in the country. Lili remained crouched behind the bar, watching the man sceptically, until he took off his hood and cloak all together and draped it over his arm. Now that he wasn't hidden, Lili could relax and picked herself up from the floor, brushing down her dress. The stranger took a seat across the room, and soon another waitress was by his side offering drinks.

"Hey, Amelia, Victoria," Lili called the pair of blondes over, as soon as their song had finished. Once they were at Lili's side, she continued, "You see that man who just came in?"

"Yeah, I see him." Amelia's voice had a strange twang to it, not common to these lands and she slurred her words, whilst Victoria, even though she only nodded in response now, also had a strange uncommon accent. Its relevance, at the end of the day, was that the two sisters were undoubtedly foreign; exactly why Lili called them over in the first place.

"Does he look any familiar to you? I don't think I've ever seen him before."

"What do you mean? We get strangers all the time," answered Victoria, pushing the frame of her glasses further up her nose. The twin-tailed blonde inspected the stranger, but must have thought very little of him and she raised an unimpressed brow. "I see what you mean though, he definitely looks foreign from the way he dresses."

"He looked pretty suspicious when he first came in, though..."

"He looks fine now, rather handsome, huh?" asked Amelia, a little glint in her eyes. _Oh Amelia,_ Lili thought,_ forever developing these little crushes that never last long. _Victoria huffed and shook her head – she'd had to deal with this far too much. Lili laughed and grinned, before returning to her work. In all the fuss of spilling the ale, and now this new stranger, the food she intended to serve was by far cold. A flurry of apologies would have to be unleashed, along with fresh food but it didn't bother Lili too much. She would blame Sebastian for now, and as for the stranger... She would see what became of this man later in the evening.

* * *

"He's a little odd, though, since he hasn't ordered anything to drink," Lili pondered, not really expecting an answer but Amelia was sure to give one.

"It's not strange, he's just a gentleman! He obviously doesn't want to end up drunk and disorderly like the rest of these farmers," she explained, pouting slightly. Lili simply sighed in reply and returned to drying the dishes. Satisfied with her work, the blonde draped the drying cloth over a handle and walked towards Amelia, who was staring contentedly at the mystery man.

"I wonder what his name is?" Amelia mused quietly to herself. Lili, who had overheard this, promptly made her way to the man to ask for the answer to Amelia's question. He was sitting at the end of the table, alone, humming a little tune to himself as he aimlessly stirred his soup.

"Hello, sir, can I interest you in a drink?" Lili asked politely with a small but sincere smile. The man returned with a smirk that seemed playful as he rested his head on his entwined hands.

"I think not my dear, I'd prefer not to consume any alcohol tonight... Especially when I have such an important duty to fulfil," he replied with sweet smile. Immediately Lili noted the accent to be quite similar to Victoria's; perhaps she should have recognised this man after all? Other than that it was his particularly thick eyebrows that caught her attention. Unnecessary details however, as Lili had by now decided she did not like this man, and therefore pouted, though it quickly vanished.

Now, with an irritated smile, Lili continued, "But, sir, surely you know that our tavern is infamous for its freshly brewed ale? I insist you try just a small glass, really."

"Young miss, I'd rather you not try and convince me to try whatever intoxicating waste you can pull out of those barrels. I've politely declined so if you would please let me finish my meal." His smile faltered for a second, but steadily retained it's smirk. Somehow, it managed to unnerve Lili.

"Then why, may I ask, are you here? What is this purpose if you do not want to even try the ale?" she asked, trying her best to stay polite even if her patience was wearing thin.

"M'lady, I am a story-teller. I simply wish to share my experience with you and your people."

"A story-teller?" questioned a local man from the corner booth, a regular visitor to the tavern. "We hardly get any of those these days."

The man was correct, story-tellers were a rare species in these modern times.

"Yes, a story-teller. I thought I'd rekindle a dying art," the man said, a look of pride in his eyes. Lili was quite intrigued, but at the same time growing anxious at how this little conversation was beginning to disrupt the rest of the pub.

"Does this mean you're going to start singing?" asked Victoria in a mocking fashion, a grin painted on her face. She was always rather spiteful. Amelia giggled quietly behind her.

"Would you like me to, Miss? I've been told I have quite a lovely singing voice..." To this, Victoria scowled and returned to her seat behind the piano. Amelia, who would usually join her elder sister, instead took a step forward and asked quite sincerely, "Will you tell us your story? Please?"

The man smirked formed into a grin, and he nodded, "Of course, for a lady who asks so sweetly." Lili could almost hear Victoria's internal groan as Amelia face grew red as she grinned.

"Is there anyone else who would care to listen?" he called out vaguely across the hushed inn. Surprisingly, there were quite a few encouraging shouts, and so the man turned to Lili, "Will this be alright with you, m'lady? Maybe afterwards I'll try some of that self-acclaimed infamous ale of yours."

Lili's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but she smiled nonetheless. "We have a deal then, sir."

People had started to gather by then, and the man took a position in the middle of the room, perched on top of one the round tables. As he waited for his audience to gather, Lili noticed he was impatiently tapping against the rim. Finally, the people had settled down and Amelia, who had eagerly leapt over the bar, was now sitting behind the story-teller, leaning forward onto her hands. Lili remained seated behind the bar, wiping the rims of pint glasses as she too listened intently. The man raised his hand, a signal he was about to begin, and the room went quiet.

"Our heroine," he began, "was barely a woman, merely a girl, living in an old bookshop in the East of the lands. As is often said, great things do come from humble beginnings, and what a life this child bloomed from and what a magnificent flower did she bloom into. Her face was neither ugly nor pretty, but easy on the eyes and pleasing to look at. However, her appearance is of no importance, for it is what she did that gained her place among legends."

"What was her name?" Amelia asked, captivated already, just by the way the man spoke. Victoria just raised an eyebrow from behind the piano, clearly unimpressed, though she was probably contemplating whether or not she should play an accompaniment.

"Alice Liddell. A dainty village girl who had no real aspirations or expectations in her life, but is now infamously known as the girl who fell down the rabbit hole."


	2. First Night II

Chapter 2: First Night. II

"Alice was not an only child; she had an older sister and together the two would entertain themselves down by the river whilst their grandfather mended books in his study. Now on one particularly sunny afternoon, Alice and her sister were sitting along the river bank next to an old oak tree. Alice had nothing to do, however, for you see her sister seemed intent on only reading her book, one with little conversation and no illustrations, and this bored Alice very much. Huffing over the absurdity of it all, she picked herself up and began to walk along the riverside, finding nothing of interest, until…"

There was a somewhat dramatic pause, and Amelia leaned forward ever so slightly.

"Until a white rabbit with in pink eyes ran across the other side of the river."

"A rabbit? That's a bit anti-climatic..." Victoria mumbled from the corner.

The stranger's eyes narrowed in her direction and for a moment his smile faltered, but he continued, "I wouldn't say this was an ordinary rabbit however, Miss...?"

"Victoria," she replied curtly, folding her arms.

"Well, Miss Victoria, I'm sure you've never chased after a rabbit before?" he asked, mischief glinting in his eyes.

"Only if I intend to kill it afterwards."

"Well, I doubt you'd want to kill this rabbit, my dear...

"What made this rabbit so unique was the tiny blue waistcoat it wore so proudly, and even more peculiar, the pocket watch it pulled out of said waistcoat. The rabbit from the corner of Alice's eye checked over the tiny watch, and then with a shriek, scurried off towards the woods, crying out "I'm late, I'm late!" For a bored girl like Alice, she couldn't help but follow the rabbit and soon they reached a rather large rabbit hole underneath a towering tree.

"The rabbit flew down in flash, and not a second later did Alice follow him, tumbling down the tunnel, deeper and deeper. And she did think many a thing whilst she was falling, for she fell for such a long time. Things such as-"

The door opened quickly, cutting the story-teller off. Entering the inn was Sebastian, returning from the meeting and soon all eyes fell on him. The story-teller raised an eyebrow, and for a second Lili thought she saw his eyes flicker to her brother's wrist, but they quickly reverted back to the crowd, and he continued his story.

"Things such as where she would end up in the end. Would it be China or even New Zealand or Australia? And she began considering a many thing, for she liked to think, and she considered the longitude or latitude, but then she realised she didn't even know what the words meant, only that they were very grand words to use."

As the man continued, Lili beckoned her brother over to behind the bar. Now that the crowd was looking at the stranger

"So, what happened?" she asked, excitedly.

"Who is that man?" Sebastian asked in reply.

"That's not important at the moment; he's just a story-teller. Now tell me, what was the verdict, Sebastian?" she asked hastily, annoyed that her brother was trying to avoid the subject.

"A story-teller? But there aren't any of those these days."

"Sebastian, please! Just tell me what they decided!" Lili pouted; her secret weapon against her older brother and in the end he caved.

"Well, they decided against the conscription."

"That's brilliant then! I always thought conscription was such a silly idea, forcing men to go to war when they don't even want too. This is great, this means you can stay here and we won't have to worry-"

"Lili, you don't understand. The only reason we decided against conscription was because there were enough men to join the army by their own will. Including _me,_" Sebastian cut her off, with a stern look.

"But why? Why would you want to go?" Her voice raised higher, and those closest to the bar looked at them in curiosity.

"Lili, can we please talk about this later? We're attracting attention," Sebastian's voice was hushed. "I've already interrupted him once." But Lili knew that the real reason they would talk later was because of the inevitable fight this would most likely end in. Sebastian was right though, this wasn't the time or place for this conversation.

"And how silly would that be? Sending presents to your feet! They'd have to go by carrier, she thought to herself. How funny the directions would be, though._ Alice's Right Foot, Esq., Hearthrug, near the Fender, (with Alice's love)_. And just then, her head hit the roof! It seemed she had stopped growing, but now, even with the key, how was she to enter through the little door?"

Lili looked over at the story-teller and gave a deep sigh. "Very well, but I expect to talk about this tomorrow, okay?"

Sebastian opened his mouth, most likely to protest against his sister, but must've decided against, for he moved lower down the bar, and began drawing pints of ale. Lili looked at her brother with a sad look, and then turned away. However, her eyes quickly flickered back, just to glance at Sebastian's wrist. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it, so why would the story-teller feel the need to look? The blonde shook her head and looked back at the man, whose story seemed to be drawing to a close.

"And with that, concludes the first instalment of the tale. I intend to stay here for the week, I shall continue tomorrow night if you please. Alice will indeed meet the rabbit again, although under unusual circumstances, and quite an interesting new character will we meet; a hookah-smoking caterpillar. So if you please, join me again tomorrow. Thank you all, you've been a wonderful audience," the story-teller finished with a bow.

There was a round of applause. Amelia in particular was very enthusiastic in her cheering, albeit a little over the top. Even Victoria by the end had dropped her sour frown for a small smile. The man hopped down from his perch, and began to make his way towards the bar, shaking people's hands and accepting compliments along the way.

"Thank you very much, sir, I appreciate it greatly."

Eventually he took a seat in front of Lili, resting his elbows on the counter and smiling sweetly. "Ma'am?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Would you be so kind to offer a room for the working week, my dear?"

Lili nodded, and disappeared under the counter. When she re-emerged, she was holding a large leather bound book, which flipped open to the current date.

"We have quite a few rooms free, there's one that shows a view of the nearby mountains, if you wish."

"That'll be lovely, my dear. How much?" he asked, pulling out a wallet from his pocket.

"Well, a room is eighty-two francs per night, so that'll be," a pause, "Four hundred and ten francs altogether."

"Why, haven't you the skill for sums?" he complimented.

"I've always been good with numbers," she replied.

"Mm, however I fear I might not be able to afford the full price. I think I'm short of around fifty francs," he said rather sadly, flipping through the notes in his wallet.

"Well, you're going to be telling stories each night, aren't you?

The man looked up from his wallet and raised a curious eyebrow, "Yes..."

"I'm sure I could give you some sort of discount then, for providing entertainment. After all, you definitely kept our guests very well entertained tonight, and I'm sure they'll return tomorrow night as well, maybe even with friends. Consider it a gift for brining in the extra revenue," Lili replied with a smile, as she began to jot down the notes of the reservation.

"I'd appreciate that very much, Miss, thank you," he smiled genuinely, pulling out the money he had and resting it on the table. Lili counted it up quickly and tucked it away safe in the [box?] beside her.

"Okay then, all I need now is your name."

"Oh, of course, do forgive me. I never mentioned earlier, did I? Kirkland, Arthur Kirkland. And you, my dear?" He offered a hand to shake, and Lili took it and nodded her head.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm Lili Vogel, the owner's granddaughter." She took down the key for his room from a board at the back of the bar and held it out in front of him. He took it, thanked her once again, and took his leave.

As Arthur slipped away, Lili sank into one of the armchairs near the window. Outside a light rain had picked up, nicely matching her dreary mood. A busy day made her tired, but she couldn't sleep yet. There were still pint glasses to wash up, floors to sweep and of course the last of the stragglers to shoo away before she could lock up for the night. Sebastian helped her with that; although it was done with a prolonged silence that neither of them wanted to break. Late into the night, Lili finally propped her broom against the counter and left her brother to lock up the rest of the tavern.

Sighing deeply as she slumped into her bed, Lili snuggled deep into her covers as she went through the chores of the next day. She thought of Arthur's story and how it would continue. She thought of Amelia and laughed at her little crush.

And finally she thought of the inevitable argument that was sure to follow in the morning.


	3. Second Night

Chapter 3: Second Night

The morning started off very quiet, although Lili could feel the tension between her and her brother. Even their grandmother, standing in the corner of the kitchen, avoided the two in fear of getting in the way of their spat.

"Well, we can't keep on avoiding this conversation can we?" Lili began calmly, as she measured out the cocoa needed for her cakes.

"What conversation?" came a stiff reply from her brother.

"The one we started last night. The one about the meeting verdict," she answered, remaining calm.

"What's to discuss?"

"There is everything to discuss. Why do you feel the need to join the army if you don't even have to?"

"Lili, we've been through this before. If I join the army, then there'll be more money for the tavern, which we means we won't have to charge such as high prices and then we'll get more customers, see?"

"But in return, we lose you as a worker and more importantly I lose my brother! What if you died Sebastian, then what? I'd be left without a brother and since it seems like the tavern's all you care about, we won't have a worker or any extra money," Lili countered, her voice rising in volume.

"I never said that the tavern was all I cared about. Of course I care about you!" Sebastian replied, trying not to shout back.

"Well, I'm sorry but it certainly doesn't seem so."

"And you're just a naive little girl who has no understanding of any of this!"

Lili was taken back; that was probably the first time Sebastian had insulted her like that before. And with that, Sebastian was gone out of the door, leaving Lili standing pathetically in the middle of the pub.

* * *

Arthur returned that night, and as soon as he entered, Amelia perked up from her slump and immediately stood up to greet him. Others looked up to expectedly, and met by the stares, he said, "Well, at least let me get something to eat first," and with a small chuckle he made his way to the bar, taking a seat in front of Lili once again.

"Hello, my dear. I'll have the same soup as last night, please. Must admit it was to die for," he said with a grin, as he laced his fingers and rested his head on his hands.

"Of course, sir-" Lili began.

"Please, call me Arthur, Miss. I'd prefer it really."

"Well then, I insist you call me Lili in return," she replied, smiling playfully.

"Very well then, my dear Lili. As you were saying," he said in return, nodding to urge her on.

"I was just going to say we're a little short-staffed today, so it may take longer than usual," she explained.

"Short-handed? Is this because of that fight this morning..?" he asked carefully.

"That's none of your business, is it?" Lili snapped in return, but the sighed, "I'm sorry, I just..."

"I understand, it's hard when you fall out with anyone, let alone your brother," his eyes lost focus for a second, but he soon snapped back, "I don't mind either way, I'm sure I can amuse myself whilst I wait."

Arthur swivelled around and hopped off the seat, making his way to the piano where Victoria and Amelia sat. "Now my dear ladies, which one of you can sing me a pretty song tonight?"

Lili laughed as Amelia jumped up straight away, whilst Victoria simply continued to glare at her sheet music. Shaking her head, her thoughts fell back to earlier on in the day.

After his meal, Arthur continued his story, and as he went on Lili knew she was right to give him the discount. The little pub was much fuller than most Saturday nights, and of course she herself was enjoying the story.

"So tell me, my friends, how is a raven like a writing desk, hmm?"

A few lousy answers, only to be met by disgruntled groans when he revealed that there was never an answer in the first place.

There was still something wrong, though, as the hours ticked on into the night. Sebastian hadn't returned, and even considering the circumstances of this morning's argument, that didn't mean he would just take off like this. They'd fought before and nothing serious had been made of it, so why would now be any different? It didn't matter, though, really. He probably just needed time to cool off, and hopefully when he returned he'd apologise for acting so rudely to his younger sister. Yes, that would be it. That had to be it.

When Arthur had finished his tale and the evening watchers had left, then Lili started to worry.

Even though her grandmother called for her to wash the dishes and glasses, Lili couldn't be drawn from the window as she looked for any sign of her brother. It was gone midnight, possibly hours after and yet Lili still hadn't left that seat. Even after Victoria and Amelia had finally decided to give up and slump off to bed, not even bothering to listen for Lili's reply to their 'goodnight's. As the clock finally chimed three, Lili sank into her chair, bringing her knees up close.

Maybe Sebastian was just playing a trick, to try and get back at her for how she behaved earlier, trying to scare her. But no, Sebastian didn't act like that. He wouldn't go out of his way to make his beloved little sister upset; he wasn't like that. And Lili couldn't possibly entertain the idea that Sebastian was hurt or mugged. For a second the image of him lying bloody in an alleyway flashed into her mind, but she quickly shook it away. After all, Sebastian was definitely a fighter; he wouldn't end up like that.

Lili stood up from her chair and pressed her forehead against the cold window. All that said, though, where else could he be?

"My dear, Lili, you shouldn't worry so much," a voice interrupted her thoughts, thankfully, and Lili looked up to see Arthur beside her, leaning against the window as well. "You'll start to feel sick."

"I already feel sick," she mumbled in reply, returning her gaze to outside the window.

"I'm sure he's fine. After all, of what I've seen of him he seems quite a capable chap." Lili didn't look very comforted by the thought, so Arthur continued, "You know, maybe I should tell you some more of the story. Help to cheer you up."

"But wouldn't that be spoilers?"

"Not if it was, let's say, a bonus scene?" he replied with a hopeful smile. Lili looked over Arthur and pushed herself away from the window and smiled weakly.

"Okay then," she answered, and Arthur ushered her towards the chair to sit down,

"Well, I wouldn't say it's so much of an extra scene, more something to think about, a revelation of sorts. Lili, did you ever wonder why the little rabbit with the waistcoat was in Alice's world to begin with?"

"No, not really. I just thought..." But Lili had never even thought to take it into consideration before, so she really didn't know what she thought on the matter.

"Well, why would he need to come to our land do you think? There to visit some relatives? I think that's unlikely. What would he need? He was empty handed, minus the pocket-watch of course, when he went back into the hole, so it couldn't be that there was anything for him to fetch."

"Well, what else could it be then?"

"Well, personally, I think that the rabbit did come above ground to fetch something. Something which he was able to find and in the end did take to Wonderland with him."

"And what was that?"

"Not what, my dear. Who."

"He came to find... Alice?"

Arthur nodded, "But it's just a little theory of mine."

"But why would he want to do that? Did he need Alice for something?"

"Well, later on in the story, Alice is framed for stealing tarts from the Queen of Hearts. I think that the rabbit may have stolen Alice away so that the Knave, the one who really stole the tarts, didn't have to be beheaded."

"He stole her? Don't you think that that's maybe a bit too harsh a way of phrasing it?" Lili gave a small frown.

"How would _you _phrase it? I mean after all, it's quite a harsh thing to do in the first place," he countered.

"But do you really think that's the truth then?" Lili asked, quite distracted from her previous worries about Sebastian.

"Now, now, it's only a story, Lili. And it's only a little thought of mine that really shouldn't be taken too seriously. Besides, Alice had evidence against the case and managed to escape Wonderland with her head still attached."

"Oh, well that's good then... Hey, those were spoilers!" she protested, frowning at Arthur, but he simply chuckled in return.

"Lili, you should sleep now," Arthur rested a hand on her shoulder, and led her away from the window and towards the bar. "I'm sure when you wake up tomorrow morning, your brother will be back behind the bar waiting to apologise. And if he doesn't then I'll make sure he hears about it, because no one should worry a lady this much."

Faced with the issue of her brother again, Lili only nodded dumbly, and walked towards the door leading to the back of the inn. Her grandmother told her she would lock up tonight and so Lili slowly made her way to bed. She couldn't bear to face her brother's empty room and shuffled past it quickly. Once she reached her own room, she slumped down with her back against the closed door and tried her best to fight off the tears that were threatening to fall.

After all, she couldn't help but blame herself for her brother's sudden disappearance.

* * *

Sebastian didn't answer when Lili knocked on his door in the morning. To the kitchen Lili went next, but her brother was nowhere to be seen. Bursting through the door, Lili scoured the inn for any sign. Reaching the front of the tavern, the only blonde Lili saw was Arthur with his morning tea. The man looked up, blinked and then sadly shook his head.

By afternoon Lili found herself with her forehead pressed against the window again, except this time her eyes were cloudy and unfocused. She wasn't looking out the window to find her brother, she was simply thinking. Lili knew one thing was crystal clear; her brother was undoubtedly missing. And there was a part of her, she didn't even understand it herself, but there was a part of her that somehow knew the truth.

That he had been stolen away.


End file.
